One cubic yard of compost covers about 324 square feet at a 1-inch layer — or roughly 650 square feet as a half-inch lawn topdress. Depth decides everything with compost, because it is spread thin as an amendment rather than piled like mulch.
Coverage by use
- ¼–½" lawn topdress: ~650–1,300 sq ft per yard — rake it in, ideally after aerating
- 1" layer on beds: ~324 sq ft per yard
- 2–3" tilled into gardens: ~100–160 sq ft per yard
A single yard goes further than most people expect, though compost weighs about 1,100 lbs per yard, so plan the wheelbarrow runs — figure about 9–14 heaped loads per yard. Order Compost by the yard, or match yardage to your square footage with the material calculator.
